10 Philadelphia Eagles that must shine in Week 3 versus Cincinnati

Just like that, the Philadelphia Eagles in danger of falling to a 0-3 record.

How did we get here? It wasn’t long ago that the Philadelphia Eagles were talked about as being contenders. They had improved their wide receiver corps after choosing three in the most recent NFL Draft (and they had traded for another). They traded for cornerback Darius Slay, one of the best at his position, and they acquired defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, one of the most coveted free-agents in the offseason.

Now, with a better surrounding cast, quarterback Carson Wentz was supposed to take the next step in climbing the quarterback echelon. After all, he thrived at the end of 2019 with a bare wide receiver unit, so the theory was that he should theoretically be better with more and better weapons at his disposal, which he now has.

The pieces were there, the ‘Birds’ had what they needed in order to win week in and week out, but none of that has happened. Instead, they currently hold a 0-2 record. We could point to the injuries that have struck the team, but that doesn’t encompass all of their struggles.

Right tackle Brandon Brooks’ injury was a devastating blow, but after a few twists and turns, Nate Herbig played well in his place. Now Herbig will move to left guard to replace an injured Isaac Seumalo while Matt Pryor takes over at right guard. Defensive end Derek Barnett’s injury wasn’t viewed as though it hurt the team for two reasons. One, he’s always hurt seemingly, and second, he wasn’t having much of an impact, to begin with, when he was available. Josh Sweat seized his opportunity, and it doesn’t seem like he will give his job back any time soon.

There are other factors that are likely affecting the Eagles such as a lack of efficient coaching and the contract disputes they’ve had with some of their players. Still, analyzing those issues won’t help Philly get ready to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Here’s a list of ten Eagles that must play well versus the Bengals to avoid an 0-3 start.